police win the right to camouflage speed cameras

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The Times said:
Go slow: police win the right to camouflage speed cameras
By Ben Webster

The prominent yellow boxes may be harder to identify from next year


MOTORISTS face the return of hidden speed cameras after rules governing their siting and visibility cease to be enforced from April 2007.
Camera partnerships, which include police and local authorities, will be able to repaint yellow cameras to make them blend into the background.



They will also be able to install cameras where there is a speeding problem but little history of crashes.

At present the partnerships are bound by strict rules issued by the Department for Transport. The cameras must be painted bright yellow and be visible from at least 60m (200ft) away. They can be installed only at sites where there have been at least three collisions causing death or serious injury and three causing slight injury within a kilometre in the previous three years.

Many partnerships believe that the rules are too restrictive. Last autumn, Richard Brunstrom, the Chief Constable of North Wales Police, said that many more lives would be saved if there were more flexibility in camera location.

He said: “Parents often write to us and ask us to put a camera outside a school because the traffic is so dangerous. It’s very difficult to write back and say, ‘Please let us know when your son is killed and then we can consider putting a camera there.’ ”

Alistair Darling, the Transport Secretary, said in December that partnerships would no longer be able to keep the cash from camera fines to pay for more cameras. They will get grants from a central road safety fund to pay for cameras or alternative measures such as new markings or humps.

Ian Bell, the camera liaison officer for the Association of Chief Police Officers, said that regional differences were likely. “If a highway authority wants to install more cameras and they have the money there will be nothing to stop them. They may decide to put cameras in places the criteria do not currently allow, such as in villages and around schools.”

Lee Murphy, speed camera manager for Cheshire, said: “If the rules weren’t compulsory we could use cameras to tackle emerging trends rather than waiting for the minimum number of collisions.”

A Department of Transport spokesman said: “Local authorities will have freedom to use cameras where appropriate and where they see fit. But we do not want to see a return to the bad old days of cameras being hidden behind trees. We are minded to use guidance to achieve this, but if authorities flout it we will consider regulation. If they want to paint cameras grey we will want to know why.”

Kevin Delaney, the head of road safety at the RAC Foundation, said: “We are concerned that some partnerships will conceal cameras and risk losing the trust of motorists. It makes sense for cameras to be yellow because it slows people down at accident blackspots.”

Brake, a road safety charity, welcomed the new flexibility for partnerships. Mary Williams, its chief executive, said: “Requiring casualties before action is abhorrent and results in needless deaths. We welcome the opportunity for covert enforcement because too many motorists simply slow down briefly for a yellow camera.”
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:mad: :mad: :mad:
 
Hey if you hate that, think about this, they plan to bring in a system in which the car slows (itself down) depending on the speed limit of the road.
 
They will also be able to install cameras where there is a speeding problem but little history of crashes.
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Trying to think of reasons why this is an issue. Everyone drives fast in Area A but nobody ever crashes. Whats the problem then?
 
[TW]Fox said:
Where you can be BANNED for a single offence of travelling 10mph over the limit? Yea, great idea.
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Bah, damn you fox and your knowledge of all things moto related.
 
[TW]Fox said:
Seriously we got it great here compared to speed enforcement in Oz :(
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What about roads outside of the cities?
I thought they where speed limit-less :(
 
Bugger. I'm actually pretty happy with the status quo, but this worries me a lot.

I would like to see a bit of give and take. Say, the government drop tax charges on track days etc.
 
-Mic- said:
What about roads outside of the cities?
I thought they where speed limit-less :(
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The roads down here that are limetless are in the northern territory most other out of city road is 110kms.
I think we can go more over 10kms b4 we are banned for driving tho fox. You are thinking of the P plater rule.
Just last year are speed offences did get higher fines if we got caught and our Drink driving limet is .05
Its best go to germany, cars are expensive here compared to europe :(
 
Problem with camouflaging cameras is that people slow down because they can see them. If they don't know where they are, they're less likely to slow down. Not so sure if they'd be likely to drive slower though.
 
-Mic- said:
What about roads outside of the cities?
I thought they where speed limit-less :(
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Thats just the Northern Territory as far as i know. All the other States are restricted to the limit of 120kph. Thats just wnat i have read in research ive done in looking to move there. I could be wrong. Didnt know about the banning for 10mph over though. All i now is that the points system in licenses doesnt exist and that its usually a $60 ticket. Maybe im misinformed
 
Drove down to Truro, Cornwall today from Hampshire near Basingstoke and came across about 10 camera's on the A303 and the A30. Most of them where in stupid places.

And where they should have had cameras there weren't any! Such as roads with loads of junctions but instead they're on clear straight roads.
 
I was under the impression that these cash machines were actually "safety cameras" so as to act as a deterrant for speeding so drivers know the area is an accident blackspot.

So if thats the idea...how will they be a deterrant if folks are unable to see them? By the time they've spotted the camera its like to be too late anyway and they'll probably cause more accidents while stamping on the anchors to avoid getting caught.
 
Minxy said:
So if thats the idea...how will they be a deterrant if folks are unable to see them? By the time they've spotted the camera its like to be too late anyway and they'll probably cause more accidents while stamping on the anchors to avoid getting caught.
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Hahah yeah, I hadn't even thought of that - doh! Must get sleep!
 
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